FAQs for College Students

[10.01.07]- GameCareerGuide.com staff

Q: I'm in college, but I'm not at an institution that offers much guidance in terms of getting into the game industry. Where can I read up on putting together a demo reel, beefing up my resume, and applying for jobs?

A: We have articles that cover all those topics (see the Related Articles links below).

Additionally, some GameCareerGuide.com readers post links to their portfolios, web sites, and demo games on our forum and solicit feedback from other readers -- feel free to join them!

Q: I'm about ready to apply for a job in game development. Where should I look online for open positions? Where are the job fairs?

A: Gamasutra.com (that's our sister web site for seasoned industry pros) has the biggest job board for the game industry.

Additionally, job fairs often take place at industry conferences, which you should attend anyway for the networking aspects, such as the Game Developers Conference. All the major events are listed on our calendar. You can also find a list of upcoming shows and conferences on Gamasutra.com's event listing page.

Another method of finding a job is to apply to studios in your local area. To find these, try using GameDevMap.com, which can pull up a list of game studios and publishers in any geographic location represented on the global map. Then, link to each company's web site and look for a job page.

You could also look for jobs at specific studios whose games you enjoy, although using this method usually entails relocation, unless you just happen to live within a few miles of your favorite game developer.

Q: What other events can I attend to improve my chances of getting a job and of meeting people in the industry?